13 YEARS AGO.
DORTES, MY SMALL AND PEACEFUL HOMELAND,
this series is rated 19 and above
WAS BRUTALLY CRUSHED BY THE ‘KARMAN EMPIRE’, THE EMPIRE THAT REIGNED OVER THE CONTINENT.
WITH A SLAVE MARK BRANDED ONTO THE CENTER OF MY CHEST,
I WAS SOLD ALL OVER THE EMPIRE, BUT...
IS THE IMPERIAL FAMILY OF THAT EMPIRE REALLY GOING TO BUY ME?
BUT...
WHY?
MY BIG BROTHER NEEDS A MAID LIKE YOU.
HE'S A SENSITIVE PERSON,
SO MOST PEOPLE DON'T EVEN LAST A WEEK.
BUT...
HOW COULD A SLAVE-BRANDED MAID LIKE ME...
SERVE THE SUPREME RULER OF THE EMPIRE...?
WHAT OTHER REASON IS THERE FOR A SLAVE FROM A FALLEN NATION TO EARN MONEY IN THE EMPIRE...
IF NOT FOR ONE THING?
I'LL SEND YOU HOME.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE THAT?
A FEW DAYS LATER.
THIS PLACE...
IS THE DETACHED PALACE WHERE THE CROWN PRINCE RESIDES.
LEARN THE INTERNAL STRUCTURE QUICKLY.
Emel, Chamberlain of the villa.
DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING UNNECESSARY-...
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
AH...
IF I TOUCH THE WALLS WHILE I WALK,
I CAN GET A QUICKER GRASP OF THE STRUCTURE WITHOUT HAVING TO LOOK.
I THOUGHT IT WOULD ALLOW ME TO MEMORIZE THE ROUTE WITHOUT MAKING MISTAKES...
...I SEE.
Ehem!
ANYWAY.
THE CROWN PRINCE IS A VERY SENSITIVE MAN.
IF YOU MAKE ANY CHANGES,
OR DEVIATE ANYTHING FROM THEIR ORIGINAL PLACES, HE WILL NOTICE AND BE DISPLEASED.
IN PARTICULAR...
BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU TOUCH THE ART SUPPLIES ON THE THIRD FLOOR.
DO NOT LIFT AND MOVE EVEN THE LIGHTEST DECORATIONS...
THE CROWN PRINCE...
HAS IT ALREADY BEEN 13 YEARS?
THE CROWN PRINCE HASN’T EVEN PARTICIPATED IN THE ROYAL EVENTS.
THEY SAY HE WAS BORN WITH A WEAK BODY.
I'VE ALSO HEARD HE HAS A LOT OF DIFFICULTY MOVING AROUND EVEN NOW...
I HEARD HE'S BEEN HOLED UP IN HIS ROOM DOING NOTHING BUT DRAWING?
WHO KNOWS WHETHER HE'LL EVER SUCCEED TO THE THRONE?
IT WON'T BE EASY WITH HIM...
LASTLY,
WHATEVER NOISES YOU HEAR IN THIS PLACE,
ACT AS THOUGH YOU HEAR NOTHING.
YOU NEED ONLY COME OUT OF YOUR ACCOMMODATION...
TO CLEAN THE THIRD FLOOR WHEN I GIVE YOU INSTRUCTIONS TO DO SO.
...FOOTSTEPS?
AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, TRY NOT TO RUN INTO THE CROWN PRINCE.
THAT IS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW-...
WHAT'S THIS?
...Y-YOUR HIGHNESS!
YOU'RE HERE?
I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF BRIEFING OUR NEW CLEANING MAID.
DID I...
TELL YOU TO GET A NEW CLEANING MAID?
T-THE GIRL WHO WORKED HERE UNTIL LAST WEEK...
WAS UNABLE TO COME.
QUICKLY, GREET HIS HIGHNESS, DIANA!
YOU WILL SERVE HIM FROM NOW ON...
Y-YOUR HIGHNESS... ?!
A MAID...
HOW FUN.
I WILL SEND YOU HOME.
SO, YOU...
MUST APPROACH MY BROTHER, AND GET HIM TO LOWER HIS GUARD.
BE IT AS A CLEANING MAID,
A BEDMAID,
OR EVEN AS A BATH MAID.
BECOME THE ONLY PERSON ALLOWED BY HIS SIDE.
AS MY SPY.
BE HIS MAID.
ACT LIKE A WHORE, DIANA.
CLOSE THE CROWN PRINCE'S EYES AND EARS.
UNTIL THE DAY I CUT OFF HIS HEAD.
THAT WILL BE THE ONLY THING THAT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE.
DO IT, AND I WILL SEND YOU HOME.
D-DIANA..
DIANA ESCARIF...
-IS MY NAME...
MASTER.
The Portrait of Pride Chapter 2 follows Diana as she recalls Dortes falling to the Karman Empire 13 years ago and being branded and sold as a slave. Bought by the imperial family and promised a return home, she is ordered to become a spy against the Crown Prince, and after entering his detached palace as a cleaner under chamberlain Emel's strict rules, she unexpectedly encounters the prince himself on her first day.
